I get asked a lot about what advice I would give to writers, newbies and professionals alike.

While my answers rarely stray from “Never Stop Writing” and “Finish What You Start,” it’s no secret that in this day and age, an Online Presence is TOP PRIORITY. This is the way you will raise your visibility, reach readers, and grow your fan base.

Just like exercise, you will get out of it what you put into it, so LEARN TO LOVE IT. There are so many different sites, there will be SOMETHING that strikes your fancy. Try them all.

Cat’s CREATING AN ONLINE PRESENCE covers the basics of creating and maintaining an online presence for writers. What you need on a website, how to effectively use social media, how to find readers via social media, what free resources are available to writers, whether it’s worth it to pay for online advertising, and, most importantly, how to promote yourself online without using all your valuable writing time.

Right now it is available in e-book form (only $4.99 on Kindle!), but check back — it will be available soon as a tangible copy as well.

Hello, everyone! Welcome to July, and the Month of Artist and Author Interviews here on the website!

Today’s interview features SF short story diva Cat Rambo. I admire this woman from her pink (or blue, or purple) hair right down to her super intelligent toesies. Of course, I would admire any woman who could sit down to tea with me and go head-to-head about fairy tales for hours on end…and then publish 5 stories to my every one.

Cat’s third short story collection, NEAR AND FAR, will be released this fall. But don’t wait until then to read some of Cat’s work — you can get Eyes Like Sky and Coal and Moonlight (which I highly recommend) right now!

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Author or Artist?
Author

Who are your professional role models?
L. Timmel DuChamp, who manages to write and edit and publish, all brilliantly; Stephen King, whose prolific nature I find highly inspirational

What’s your favorite writing/sketching weather?
I love the rainy Seattle days with an edge of chill to them. Right now I’m writing during one, and I can hear a duck quacking happily in the distance.

Set your current playlist/musical device to “shuffle all” and hit PLAY. What’s the first song that comes up?
Carla Bruni – Comme Si De Rien N’Etait

If you could win any award, which would it be?
I really like to win the Tiptree Award and be on that elevated list of winners. Tiptree’s a favorite writer and I’ve always appreciated the purpose of the award.

Would you rather have magical powers, or a spaceship?
If the spaceship talks, I’m all over it; otherwise magical powers.

What was your favorite book as a child?
The Lord of the Rings

What thing do you wish you could go back in time and tell your 10-year-old self?
Stop worrying about what other people think.

What’s your favorite constellation?
Cygnus

What’s your favorite fairy tale?
The Steadfast Tin Soldier

What thing are you most proud of?
My stories

The Colin Harvey Memorial Question: Name 3 things on your List of Things to Do Before You Die.
Publish a novel
See the Earth from space
Swim with dolphins

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Cat lives and writes in the Pacific Northwest, and has over a hundred published short stories in places such as Asimov’s, Weird Tales, and Tor.com. Her third short story collection, NEAR AND FAR, appears from Hydra House this fall.